


This Is Home

by celestial_author



Series: Supernatural Au [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Background Relationships, Established Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lotor (Voltron) Being an Asshole, M/M, Minor Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Misunderstandings, Protective Hunk, Protective Team, Shapeshifter Hunk (Voltron), Shapeshifter Keith (Voltron), Shapeshifter Shiro (Voltron), Supernatural AU - Freeform, Witch Adam (Voltron), Witch Allura (Voltron), Witch Lance (Voltron), klance, protective keith, will add tags later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_author/pseuds/celestial_author
Summary: A pack called the Galra are up to something, and it's somehow tied to the disappearances of creatures, and the increase of demonic activity.  Keith had somehow stumbled into the danger when he found his mother, making the choice to stay away from his friends to keep them safe.  But in the end it didn't even matter.  They've got targets on their heads, and the Galra are slowly closing in on his home town Arus.  He isn't sure how to face his friends...  Two years was a long time to be gone....There are rumors that are floating around VLD University, crazy ones.  While some of them Lance could tell was him or his friends, there are others that were... inexplicable.  To make matters worse, he's having dreams again, dreams about someone who just vanished.  It felt like he was being haunted.  Lance didn't know he was going to have other things to worry about until the ghost revealed himself.Tumblr: celestial-author
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Supernatural Au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1277030
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh goodness that took a lot longer to finish then I'd like to admit. I kept changing the way I wanted to start this fic so much, I thought about scrapping it. But here it is! Something I'm actually happy with! 
> 
> I hope you guys are ready!

_“You won't ever lose me Keith.”_

_…_

Lance’s eyes snapped open, nearly choking on the air he inhaled almost too quickly as he was shoved into consciousness. He couldn’t help but whine, his eyes stinging from the light that bled into his room through his window. He was tempted to pull the sheets over his head, wanting nothing more than to just go back to sleep. But he had things to do, and chances were, he wouldn’t have been able to go back to sleep anyway. With a defeated sigh, he rolled out of bed, letting out a loud and obnoxious yawn. 

He grabbed his phone from under his pillow, pulling the cord out before checking it. He swiped away most of his notifications, either being one of his game apps or social media telling him to check out such-and-such. He hummed a song he had been listening to the night before, walking around his room to start his morning routine. He chucked his work outfit onto the bed, opening his calendar to double check when his shift was. 

His eyes fell on the day highlighted in red, his humming cut short as a wave of emotions crashed into him. It was the weekend before classes started, a weekend left before he was thrown into another year of projects and essays, assignments piling up with the stress that school gave him. But he wasn’t thinking about school, wasn’t thinking about how it was his last year and if he was going to graduate or flunk. 

No... the only thing Lance could think about was… 

_“Because I don’t want to lose you Lance…”_

Lance’s jaw tightened as he let his phone drop onto his desk, sitting heavily in his chair as he tried everything to **not** think about it. But that’s not how the mind works. Everything he could think of somehow always related back to _him_. He ran a hand through his hair, groaning as he let his head fall to the desk. With a small ‘ow’ he huffed and rested on his chin, eyes closed as he began humming again. 

A familiar blue flower came into view when he opened his eyes, a sigh of defeat escaping him. He sat up and scooted closer, picking up the fake flower from the pen holder and turning it slowly. He brushed his fingers against the petals as if they were delicate, petting them into place as the song he had been humming changed. He touched the necklace that laid over his chest, running his thumb over the crystal for comfort. He could feel the sadness welling behind his eyes again, but he smiled regardless, letting himself fall back into the memory. 

There were so many nice things to remember about Prom night. His best friend Hunk had went with his new girlfriend at the time, both of them awkwardly talking when they had arrived. After a while though, Shay had shyly asked him to dance, and the two seemed to relax, enjoying themselves as the first date nerves fluttered away. Pidge had been working the lights and sound, not really one for dancing. They seemed to enjoy themselves though, helping out the DJ whenever he needed a break or talking to him as the students partied on. Since Shiro and Allura had already graduated, hey hadn’t gone. But they were texting them every so often to check on them like worried parents. And Lance… 

Lance had gone with Keith. 

They were practically inseparable the entire night, never leaving each other’s side for long. Initially they had just hung back from the main dance floor, finding themselves a table and talking about things he couldn’t remember. Lance did most of the talking though, often cooing over an outfit, and Keith seemed content with just listening to him. But when he had made a comment about some of the couples dancing, humming along to the songs that he knew, Keith had suddenly got up. 

_“Keith?” He asked, watching as his friend moved over to in front of him._

_“Wanna go dance?” Keith asked, holding his hand out for him. He wasn’t sure if it was the lights or if he was just blind, but was pretty sure Keith was flustered, avoiding his gaze as he waited for Lance to respond._

_“I have never seen you dance before.” Lance commented, taking his hand and following him out to the dance floor._

_“That’s… Uh…” Keith cleared his throat, looking at him only when they had found themselves a spot on the dance floor._

_“Well?” He asked, raising a brow, stifling a few giggles at the face his prom date made. It was like he had eaten something sour._

_“I… I don’t actually know how to dance.” He admitted, awkwardly holding his arms out before letting them fall to his sides, his shoulders tense._

_“That’s okay! I’ll show you.” Lance assured, noting that Keith was putting himself in a_ **_very_ ** _uncomfortable situation. He was stepping out of his comfort zone… for_ **_him._ ** _He wanted to make it as fun as possible._

_It was obviously awkward at first, Keith just watching Lance and trying to copy his movements. But after a while, a few jokes and teases later, Keith was starting to loosen up, dancing along to the beat. It didn’t matter if it was good or bad, it only mattered that they were having_ **_fun_ ** _. Even when the crowd grew, Keith only moved closer, Lance holding his hand to keep from losing him._

_When the music slowed and people started to walk off for their own reasons, Lance figured they would do the same. But Keith didn’t move to leave, instead stepping closer and placing his free hand on his hip, smiling so warmly that Lance had lost any thought of stopping him. He placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a quizzical look as they began swaying._

_His heart nearly stopped when Keith began leading him into a slow dance._

_“I thought you said you didn’t know how to dance?” He said quietly, trying to keep his composure._

_“It’s more accurate to say that I don’t know how to dance to the music you dance to.” He chuckled._

Lance was pulled from his thoughts when his alarm went off, letting out a soft sigh out before gently sitting the flower back in its place. He took his time as he went through his morning routine, continuing to hum the song that reminded him of Prom. 

Once he was fully dressed in his work clothes, he grabbed the bag that was hanging from his chair, deciding to take his jacket as well and headed towards the door. He patted himself for a second before turning back, swiping his phone from the desk, before leaving his room and heading into his kitchen. 

Checking the time, he was pleased that he was leaving just on time, grabbing his keys and wallet he had left on the kitchen counter the night before. He stuffed them into his bag, never once stopping as he grabbed his shoes from the hallway closet. 

“Three…. Two… One…” He whispered as he slipped his shoes on, looking down at his phone in time to see it light up with a call. 

“Hello?” He answered, already stepping out and locking the door behind him. 

“Good Morning Lance~! I’m outside.” Hunk called through the phone, making him snicker a little. 

“On time as usual. I’m on my way down now.” He hung up, pocketing his phone as he went down the stairs. He passed by a few students as he did so, greeting them with a wave and a polite smile. 

As he exited the apartment complex, he couldn’t help but feel something off. It was like there was some sort of shift in the air, like someone, or **something** had done something. Or maybe… like something was going to happen. It made him pause, his steps slowing as he took the chance to look around. It seemed normal enough. Students were walking to and from his building, some choosing to hang out on the lawns that sat in front, others rushing off to class. 

A loud hon startled him though, making his heart pound in his chest. A second one drew his attention to the source, spotting Hunk waving his arm out the car window with a large grin on his face. 

“Hey Lance! Come on! We don’t want to be late for work!” He called. Lance gave himself a moment to relax, shaking his head as if he could shake the feeling out of his head. 

“Sorry! I guess I got lost in thought!” He laughed as he ran up to the car. 

He’d worry about it later. 

… 

“Okay! I’ve got a Beach Cheeseburger with a side of onion rings, the Onion Cheeseburger with the side of season fries, and an order of Dino Nuggets and a side of grapes for the Queen of Dinoland! Can I get you anything else?” Lance declared, setting the plates down to their designated person, making sure to give a wink to the small girl who giggled over her food. 

“I think we’re all set for now?” The father said, looking to his daughter and son for confirmation before smiling back at him.

“Perfect! I am off for the night, so, this lovely lady here will be helping you for the rest of your meal.” He said, winking to the waitress who stood beside him. She laughed and rolled her eyes, bumping her shoulder with his. 

“Hello! If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me over.” She said sweetly, the family giving their thanks.

“Have a wonderful night!” Lance said before leaving, trusting Nyma to care for his customers. 

He hummed along to the song that was playing overhead, heading towards the backroom. As he passed by the other tables, he noticed that his friends had gathered at their usual table, raising a brow and quickly walking over. 

“I’m guessing we’re eating dinner here tonight?” He asked as he walked up, not bothering with greeting them. 

“You’d guess correctly.” Shiro chuckled.

“We figured it would be nice to eat dinner together before our Senior year begins.” Adam said, who was sitting beside him. 

“Ugh, don’t remind me. We’re all going to die.” Pidge grumbled, looking up from their phone. 

Lance laughed a bit, reaching into his apron to grab his notebook. 

“Are you guys getting the usual?” He asked, ready to start writing when Allura placed a hand on his arm. 

“Oh don’t worry about that Lance. Luxia stopped by and already took our orders.” She reassured.

“Damn she’s good.” He huffed. Hunk walked up then, already out of his work clothes and holding his bag. 

“Did you already switch Nyma over to your tables?” He asked, taking a seat besides Allura. 

“Yeah. I just wanted to get everyone’s orders in, but it seems the Queen as already did so.” He snickered, Hunk snorting at the nickname Lance had given their boss. 

“Damn she’s good.” Hunk muttered. 

“That’s what I said!”

…

After dinner, they had all settled into a conversation about the upcoming year. Schedules were exchanged in order to make future plans to hang out, or at the very least to study together. It was crazy to think about really. They were only a year away from graduating, but it felt like they had only just started school. But three years blurred by and here they were, with only two semesters left in their programs. Shiro and Allura had already graduated, and Lance had to admit that he was jealous. They had barely seen the two graduates and when they did see them, they had both looked like they were dying. Lance wasn’t ready for all of that. 

“I’m not ready to be old like Shiro and Allura.” He huffed, pushing his empty plate so he could lean against the table. 

“We’re not even that old!” Allura argued. 

“Allura, we’re already graying.” Shiro joked, pointing to their hair.

“It’s okay Dad. We’ll be sure to put you in a very gold old people’s home.” Lance said, patting him on the shoulder.

“We are not sending Dad into a group home!” Hunk argued. 

“Thank you! I’m glad someone here loves me!” Shiro whined, reaching over to hug Hunk. 

“I love you.” Adam said casually, the group snickering as Shiro began sputtering, clearly flustered. 

“I’ll make sure you and Adam are-”

“Oh Lance!” The voice that cut Hunk him made him tense. He looked away from his friends and spotted who had spoken, unconsciously scooting closer to Adam. 

“Lotor.” He managed to say politely, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from grimacing. The smile Lotor wore was too polite to be real, his eyes holding a look that made Lance nauseous. 

“How are you? How was your summer?.” He hummed in question, Lance jumping when he felt Lotor place a hand on his shoulder.

“Um good.” He mumbled, gently shrugging the hand off. Lotor didn’t seem very pleased by that, simply leaning in a little. He could feel all eyes on them, noticing Hunk shifting a bit in the corner of his eye. If he didn’t finish this quickly, he was pretty sure his friends would get involved, knowing full well that they didn’t have a problem defending him. Before he could say anything else though, Lotor spoke. 

“That’s good to hear! Did you see your family? How are they?”

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but in case you weren’t aware, you’re asking a lot of questions for someone who’s only Lance’s classmate.” Pidge said bluntly with a look that made Lance feel like he should call an ambulance. 

“I’ve just noticed that you tend to hang around school or work here during the summer and was just curious. There’s a few rumors that go around you know, and I simply want to make sure you’re alright.” Lotor didn’t even acknowledge Pidge, continuing on as if there wasn’t five people glaring holes into him. If Lance didn’t like him, he’d probably be impressed. But now he was curious too.

“Rumors? What kind of rumors?” He asked. 

“That you haven’t gone home to see your family because you’re waiting for someone to come back who’s been gone for two years…? The same person who left his own brother.” It was like he was being tested, his reaction being the answer to Lotor’s questions. He got what he wanted too, because Lance didn’t respond. 

“Oh dear… Lance-” 

“I think you should leave.” Hunk had stood as he spoke, standing over him. 

Lance winced, trying to tell them that it was okay, but his mouth felt like it had been sealed shut, his tongue suddenly made of lead. He gripped his necklace harshly, unable to move as his body seem to freeze in place. His breathing stuttered, Lance doing everything he can not to start hyperventilating. Some part of him was still aware though, a voice sounding clear and muffled at the same time trying to talk to him. He couldn’t focus though, staring at them but not really **seeing** them. Somehow though, when Lotor started talking, he heard him loud and clear. 

“I’m going to do you a favor and say what everyone’s too afraid to say-”

“Lotor don’t-”

“It’s been two years since he’s abandoned you all. You have to face the truth.. Keith isn’t coming back.” 

Lance’s eyes widened, the words hitting him like a punch to his gut. He grabbed the cup in front of him, completely forgetting what he had been drinking, and threw it in Lotor’s face, his body shaking as he glared at him. He wasn’t sure what emotion to really feel, hurt or angry, but his body seemed to move on it’s own accord as he lifted the glass up. He was ready to go as far as hit Lotor, but someone grabbed his arm before he could, pulling him back into the booth and holding onto him. Hunk had moved in front of him at some point, blocking his view of Lotor as he took over the situation. 

His chest hurt. 

“Leave.” Hunk practically growled, his fists clenched at his sides.

“Look, I’m only trying-”

“Excuse me, I believe that he has asked you to leave.” A voice said softly. Lance looked to see their boss smiling sweetly, her hands clasped together in front of her as she stood on the other side of the booth. 

“And you are?” Lotor asked, the want to punch him flaring up again. But Adam had a tight hold on him, and Hunk would have stopped him before he could even get up. 

“Luxia. You are causing a disruption in **my** Diner and preventing my customers and my employees from having a peaceful meal. If you can’t remove yourself independently, I will gladly find someone to escort you with no problem.” The way she spoke must have thrown him off because the other didn’t respond right away. 

“...Forgive me. I’ll be on my way now.” Lotor said, his voice tight. 

“I’ll be sure to keep him from you all in the future. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to let me know.” Luxia said, her voice soft and genuine as she looked to them. She was like a mother and Lance couldn’t help but smile at that. She followed after Lotor, probably making sure to keep her promise. 

Lance listened more than watch as Lotor walked away, relaxing when he heard the familiar jingle of their door. He was let go then, the movements hesitant as if he was going to get up and chase after him. He’d be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind now that he was free but he wasn’t going to win against Hunk who was still standing protectively in front of him. 

“Thanks for stopping me from doing something I probably would have regretted.” Lance said to Shiro, leaning into the other’s touch as he rubbed his back. 

“Any time.” He responded.

“God what an asshole.” Pidge sneered. The group hummed in agreement. 

“Let’s head home for the night.” Hunk suggested, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I believe that’s for the best. I’m sure we could all use some rest after all of… **that.** ” Allura said, slipping out, Hunk helping her up. 

“If he’s out there still, I’m going to stab him.” Pidge warned, getting up. Lance snorted. 

“Please don’t encourage them.” Shiro sighed. 

“Sorry Dad.”

… 

They all gathered in the parking lot after they were done paying, walking each other to their car per usual. Allura had offered Pidge a ride home, the both of them getting into Allura’s car and driving off first, Allura having to work in the morning and Pidge being the closest one to her. Adam and Shiro walked him and Hunk to Hunk’s car, an old habit they all had after hearing some bad stories on the news. 

“Lance, can I talk to you for a second?” Shiro asked. Lance swallowed nervously, looking to Hunk and motioning him to get in without him. 

“What’s up?” He asked, waving to Adam who had gotten in their car. 

“What… What Lotor said… Do you believe him?” He asked, his question clearly hesitant. But he kept his emotions in check, Lance unable to get a read on how Shiro was feeling. 

“No. I don’t. I don’t believe in an asshole who’s only been trying to harass me into giving him the time of day. What I believe in is one of my best friends and your brother! I believe in Keith and he told both you and me that he was coming back! And Keith doesn’t go back on his word. That idiot is too stubborn to go back on his word. And when he does come back, you and I are going to kick his ass for making us worry about him! He’s going to come back! He has to! You can’t listen to Lotor! You can’t give up on him Shiro! You can’t!” He choked back sobs, wiping his tears away furiously. 

“Hey, hey breathe. Breathe Lance.” Shiro said, quickly pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think that. I know he’s coming back. Lotor’s wrong and I know that.” 

“Why won’t he come back Shiro? Why?” He sobbed, holding onto the other tightly. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

The chime was what caught his attention each time, pulling him away from his thoughts as he glanced towards the door. His chest filled with warmth that he wasn’t all that prepared for, the sight bringing him emotions that he had once tried to shove away. But he let it linger, watching as the group walked in with smiles on their faces.

Hunk and Pidge lead the group into the cafe, talking about something with such excitement that Pidge was practically bouncing as they made their way in. Shiro and Lance were close behind them, his chest tightening for a moment. He was watching them talk with such pride, Lance saying something that quickly made the group erupt in laughter. Allura, who had been behind them with Adam, said something that only made the group laugh more, their smiles bright and laughter warming the already cozy cafe. It seemed less lonely, less quiet. 

He didn’t mean to stare, didn’t mean to watch as long as he did, but the pain in his chest compelled him to. He watched as the group ordered their drinks, Shiro and Adam walking away to grab them a large table. Something ugly twisted in his gut as he watched Lance confidently flirt with the man behind the counter, successfully making the barista flush with embarrassment. It didn’t seem to go anywhere as Allura shoved Lance along, quickly apologizing for his antics when Pidge piped in with something. It soon morphed into the two of them bickering playfully, taking jabs at one another as Hunk tried to get the two of them to settle down.

He couldn’t help but smile at them, the familiarity of the group almost too much for him to handle. He was about to look at his phone when he caught eyes with Lance, the tightness in his chest worsening when it wasn’t a bright blue sparkling at him, but rather a beautiful rich chocolate, looking as if they came straight from a Lindt commercial. Warm, and inviting. They were beautiful. 

But they weren’t the eyes he had come to miss when he became restless at night. They weren’t the eyes he had known for years. Ones that could strip every wall he had ever built up and see right through. Eyes that used to bring him such comfort when he felt like the world was falling apart. Eyes that would only shatter and swirl with emotion when they were alone with one another. Eyes that were as bright and welcoming as the person they belonged to. 

“You’re thinking about them again, aren’t you?” The voice was soft, reminding him that he wasn’t here alone. Reminding him that he had been staring. 

Keith blinked a bit before giving a polite wave to the man he had been looking at, trying to play it off that he had recognized him from somewhere. It had worked at the other smile politely before joining his friends, friends that he had imagined were his own. He looked to Krolia, waiting for her to sit down with their drinks before responding. They had settled in the corner, their view of the cafe comforting as they waited. 

“I am.” He admitted quietly, taking a glance around the cafe. Krolia hummed a bit, handing him his coffee before taking a sip of her tea.

“You miss them.” A statement, not a question. 

“I do. They’re going to be starting their Senior year at the University next week.” 

“You should be with them.” He frowned.

“I want to be but… But I can’t. Not yet.” He sighed, staring down into his coffee to avoid any look she may try to throw at him. 

They were quiet for a moment, Keith thinking that it was over when he heard his mother sigh. He took a chance and looked at her, relieved that she was busy scanning the area.

“Tell me more about him?” She asked softly, the question taking him by surprise. It felt like there was something to it, like she had expected something to happen other than getting an answer. He wasn’t sure though, confident that he told her pretty much the gist of everything, including his friends.

“Who?” He asked. 

“The human boy. Lawrence I believe?” She clarified. He couldn’t hold the small snort at the mistake she made, doing his best to hold in the rest of his laughter when she frowned. “Am I wrong?” 

“His name is Lance.” He corrected, coughing into his fist to cover his amusement.

“I told you. I am very bad at remembering names. But yes. I was referring to Lance.” 

“I’ve told you about him.” He argued, raising a brow.

“Yes. But I know less of him then I do of your other friends.” She argued back, and he could definitely tell where his stubbornness came from as they only stared at one another for a moment. 

“I’m sure that’s not true.” 

“Hank-” 

“Hunk.” He interrupted to correct, motioning her to continue when she nodded.

“Hunk is an engineering student. He is also called a ‘teddy bear’ a lot and arguably the one who gives the best hugs out of your friends. You won’t admit it though because you’ll never hear the end of it. He is a phenomenal cook, and an even better spar partner. Despite his appearance, he is very strong and can be very protective when it comes to your friends. He is a human. Peggy-” 

“Pidge.” He snorted, deciding to remember that.

“Pidge is the small one, but can also be intimidating. They match the characteristics of a cartoon mad scientist in your opinion. They are also often called a gremlin despite the fact that they are human. They are snarky and sarcastic, but ever the loyal one. They are also the video game champion, and you are constantly impressed by their ability to code and invent despite the fact that you have no idea how it is done. Alice-”

“Allura.” 

“Goodness!” She huffed, clearly frustrated that she couldn’t remember their names. 

“It’s okay.” He reassured, chuckling a bit.

“Allura,” She sighed before continuing, “is the one you all consider the ‘mom’ friend. She is the most intimidating out of your group, as well as the most knowledgeable in a variety of fighting techniques. She is full of wise advice, and she is also a very powerful witch who has provided assistance on many occasions. She wants to work internationally. She is also the one who helped you feel more comfortable with who you have romantic interest in. And then… Shiro.” A pause.

“That’s right.” He said warmly.

“Shiro is the ‘dad’ friend and arguably the most responsible out of your group. He likes to make puns in almost every scenario and everyone finds them funny but will never admit it to his face. He and his family took you in after your father passed, and is someone that you look up to. He is working on becoming a teacher, and he works well with kids. He has taken a liking to an artist that is also trying to become a teacher, in which you used to relentlessly tease him about. He is also like us, fond of taking the form of a lion.” 

“Wow.” He couldn’t help but smile at how much details Krolia remembered.

“The only thing I can recall of Lance is that he is human, and also a part of your group.” She said with finality. 

She proved her point when he tried to think of a time where he had told her about him. But all he could remember was him avoiding the questions, or just mentioning small bits in pieces in the stories he had shared. Truth was, it was hard to talk about him. It was hard just saying his name on most days. 

“Were you two not very close?” She asked, sounding like she was trying to be careful. He blinked a few times before snorting, shaking his head a bit. 

“Close? He was my best friend.” He admitted. He took a sip of his coffee, taking a moment to think of what he would say. The better question was where to start?

“Oh?”

“We met when we were kids, but we weren’t really friends until middle school. He tried to befriend me earlier, but I was just too damn stubborn, too angry. But it never stopped him because he was stubborn too. He would challenge me in everything we did, sports, academics, even eating lunch! He would call me his rival, declaring it to the world as if it had that much of effect. It was his way of trying to be my friend, even when I kept telling him that I didn’t need any, didn’t want any. He was so damn persistent, and eventually… I gave in. We stuck together ever since.” He said, knowing he had some dumb smile on his face.

“He sounds like a good person.” Krolia hummed, smiling warmly as she listened. Lance just had that type of effect on people. Making them smile, even when he wasn’t around, even when a person hadn’t actually met him. 

“He was. He was stupidly selfless when it came to others, caring about them, sometimes more than he cared about himself. He would help in any way he could, make them smile, laugh, motivate them when they were struggling, even if he wasn’t feeling all too good himself. He just… has this ability to know what exactly to say or do when it counted the most. He was just the type of person that could make the room brighter, just by walking in! And his smile… I never knew a smile could be so warm, so contagious until I met him.” He said fondly. 

“You speak as if he wasn’t alive.” 

“I used to try to convince myself that he wasn’t.” 

Krolia did something that he wasn’t entirely expecting, eyes widening as he watched her laugh into her tea.

“The more we speak, the more I see myself in you.” She mused, reaching out and gently taking his hand. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yes. I’ve been in the exact same position that you are in right now. In love, but away.” She said softly, Keith’s hand tightening around hers. She gave a comforting squeeze.

“When I left you and your father, I had left to fight a battle to keep you two safe. It was painful, and there wasn’t a day where I didn’t think of the family I had left behind. But it only served to encourage me to continue fighting. I decided that the best thing to do was stay away, that it was needed to keep you safe. Like you, there were times where I tried to convince myself that you two didn’t exist, moments where I tried to forget. It was impossible though. In the end, I was so desperate to see you two, to be with your father again. When I made it back to our city…” She took a moment, her eyes growing sad and distant, “It was already too late. Your father had passed away and you were gone.” 

“You did it to protect us. You didn’t know.” He reasoned. Keith had to come to a full understanding as to why Krolia left, as to why she never came back. He was angry, sure, but he understood and forgave her. He’d be a hypocrite if he told her she should have done differently. 

“No, but I still regret my decision. Even if I had done it out of protecting the two of you, I still had chances to come back, still could have made a better effort. I’m sure if I had, we could have found a way to protect you. Together. Your father was strong, but I stayed away out of fear. I… Keith, don’t make the same mistakes I did.” She sounded like she was begging, her eyes shining with unshed tears. 

His jaw tightened as he squeezed her hand, letting her words fully sink in. He didn’t leave with the intention of never coming back, in fact, his plan was to come home early for a variety of reasons. But he had become a part of a large and dangerous situation after finding his mother, deciding that returning wasn’t an option, not wanting to drag his friends, his  _ family, _ into something they were completely unaware of. He didn’t want to lose them. 

But… wouldn’t he end up losing them in the end anyway? He had practically abandoned them, disappearing off the face of the earth as if he had never existed at all. At least when Krolia left, she told her father the reason. He hadn’t.

The thought made guilt crash over him like a wave, violently tossing him around despite his body never moving a muscle. It made him nauseous, drowning him in memories and choices he had made; in future scenarios and reactions that were impossible to predict. He could feel the anxiety lapping at the back of his neck and washing over his shoulders, tensing with discomfort as he bit the inside of his cheek. 

He opened his mouth to respond, unsure of what he was going to say, when Krolia looked away from him, the chime of the door distracting them both from their conversation. 

“They’re here.” She said softly, sitting back and letting go of his hand. They shared a look, one that told him that it wasn’t over. 

Keith nodded and sat up, sipping his coffee as he shoved all thoughts of his friends away. He gave himself a mental shake, quickly reminding himself as to why they were there in the first place. 

A large group of creatures had been causing trouble for creatures and humans alike. They called themselves the Galra, and they had been dabbling into things they shouldn’t have through experimenting. To make matters worse, a large amount of humans and creatures were going missing, and they were the ones responsible. Ever since Keith had found his mom, he had been doing his best to help her not only protect her own pack, but to stop the Galra before they were a threat to his friends back home. It had been going as well as you expected, but the Marmora pack wasn’t one to back down from a challenge Keith had learned. 

“Krolia! Keith! It’s nice to see you again!!” Thace greeted, smiling warmly. Krolia stood and shared a tight hug, repeating the action with Ulaz who only smiled and nodded in greeting. Keith awkwardly waved, getting up to shake hands with them. He couldn’t help but notice the computer bag Ulaz was carrying, noting that he had placed himself the furthest away from the crowd.

“It’s lovely to see that the two of you are in good health! How did your trip go?” Krolia asked, all of them taking their seats. This was where their conversation was coded. Where a passerby simply assumed they were friends or relatives getting together to talk about a trip or to catch up, they were really talking about a recon mission the two of them had just returned from. 

“It went well! We were able to study and discover some new information on the old civilizations we had been interested in. They were hidden in the back of the library we visited and we were fortunate to come across it. The librarians were a little weary at first, but we were able to convince them to show us the records when we told them that we were studying about the Galran civilization.” He sounded satisfied as he said that. Keith and Krolia shared a look.

_ We were able to find new information on the groups the Galra had been targeting. It had been buried deep, but we were able to access the files. The Galran that we had been with had been suspicious but we were able to convince them that we were loyal to the pack.  _

“Did you learn where some of these civilizations may have originated from?” Keith asked. 

_ Was there information as to where to locate some of these groups? _

“We did.” Ulaz said, pulling his bag onto his lap and pulling a laptop out, plugging a USB drive in before logging on. 

“We also learned of other civilizations that we weren’t aware of.” Thace added. 

_ There are a lot more groups then we had initially suspected.  _

That made Keith frown a bit, the concern clear on Thace’s and Ulaz’s face as they pulled their information up. 

When they pushed the laptop to him to look at, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting. The files that were on the USB drive were folders labeled as the ‘civilizations’ they had been talking about. He didn’t look at the names thoroughly, simply scrolling to see just how many files there had been before looking to the first one. 

**Altean**

**Arusian**

**Balmeran**

**Mer**

**Olkari**

His heart dropped. 

“Tell me about the Altean civilization.” He demanded. 

“Keith?” Krolia asked, frowning a bit.

“Why is the Altean civilization under your research?” He asked.  _ Why was he looking at Allura’s last name?  _

“Well…” Thace hesitated, probably confused, before gently pulling the computer and clicking on what he assumed was the folder. After a moment, one that felt like hours to Keith as he began to bounce his knee, Thace cleared his throat. 

“The Alteans are known to have practiced witchcraft. They were around for ages before suddenly disappearing without a trace. Finding an artifact has proven nearly impossible until recently. We found that there are photos that have been connected to the artifact, so it may actually help us. Each civilization has similar information, some more than others. This one in particular only gave us images to work off of.” He explained, turning the laptop around again. 

_ A coven that called themselves Alteans. They are of old magic and very rare to come by, but they have somehow found one of the witches recently. There are pictures that show us information that will help us locate them. The other groups have similar information. This coven has the least information as of now.  _

Keith gripped the table harshly, his nails digging into the wood as he looked at each image. 

In a bout of cruel irony, on the screen were files on every single one of his friends, the one on Allura having the most information. He swallowed hard, the guilt from earlier returning. He had taken into account that there was always a chance that they would somehow be dragged into it, but he had always tried to keep an eye out on any information regarding Arus. 

He sat back and ran a hand through his hair, his knee bouncing more as he stared at the information before him. 

“Have you researched the Alteans?” Ulaz asked, seemingly picking up on his distress as he tried to play it off. 

_ Have you met an Altean? _

“My friend back at school had done a project on them. I’m the one who helped take these pictures.” He said, hoping they would understand. When their eyes widened, he figured they had. 

_ My friend is an Altean. And all of them are our friends.  _

_ … _

Keith could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he headed towards Krolia’s car, waving to Thace and Ulaz as they walked in a separate direction. He kept quiet as he got in the car, still processing the information that had been shared with them. If he hadn’t already been frustrated with his conflicting thoughts before, he was certainly frustrated now.

Chaotic… 

That was the best word to describe the amount of emotions swirling inside of him. All he could really focus on was the thought of it already being too late, thinking back to what Krolia had said. Sure the information they had was very limited, but that isn’t to say that they hadn’t sent someone, or even a team, to search for his friends already. 

He pulled his phone out and quickly pulled up the news website that focused on his hometown. He clicked onto the page that mainly focused on missing persons, looking through the list. To his relief, there weren’t any names that he recognized, going back to the main page. He scrolled through some of their recent articles, looking for any signs that an accident could have been faked, covering for a death, or even a story on a freak accident. Again, to his relief, he didn’t find anything that stuck out. They were all pretty ‘normal’, a fire at a restaurant that was on the other side of town and a car accident due to a drunk student. No deaths, no tragedies.

He did come across an article that was puzzling though. 

**Weird Sightings in Empty Forest.**

He frowned and clicked on it, checking the date before reading on. 

_...The claims from students about weird sightings in the town’s forest have become more frequent and strange as we get closer to the new year. Rumors are spreading through the campus that is keeping both students and staff on edge.  _

_ Some of the more popular claims include sightings of water seemingly floating through the air, producing a small glow before it suddenly flees or falls to the ground. Others include the sightings of wild life, such as a bear, lion, and on occasion wolves. Some students also claim to hear voices in certain areas of the forest, singing, screams or even laughter.  _

_ Authorities are puzzled by these claims, but have not moved forward with an investigation.  _

_ “No one has been harmed by any of these claims.” Chief Iverson says when asked why he hadn’t sent a team to investigate. He believes the claims of wildlife, but the ones of voices and floating water he does not.  _

_ “I’m sure it’s just students pranking one another. Or even students being under the influence. But no matter. We must take the claims of wildlife seriously and order that one is to go into the forest for their own safety.”  _

_ What do you think of the rumors?  _

“Did you find something?” Krolia asked, concern evident as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“There’s been weird activity in the forest back home. After we make sure they’re safe, we should check it out.” Keith said, showing the article title to Krolia. 

“Okay.” She agreed, pulling away from the curb and heading towards the highway ramp. 

He took a deep breath, setting his phone down and running a hand through his hair for the nth time that day. 

He only hoped that everyone was okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the drama begin~!


	3. Chapter 3

_ “You got everything?”  _

_ Lance took a second look into the trunk to make sure nothing fell out, grabbing his backpack and sitting them next to the suitcases on the sidewalk. He went through a mental checklist then, checking off things he was positive he remembered grabbing. He patted at his front pockets, worrying his lip before deciding to actually pull his phone and wallet out. He then knelt down and opened the front pocket of his backpack, pulling his passport, place ticket, and keys out before placing them back in. Satisfied, he stood back up and turned to his friend, letting out a huff.  _

_ “I think so. If I left anything, I’ll just have to bug you to mail it to me.” He smirked, snickering when Keith rolled his eyes.  _

_ “Or I’ll just leave it in my apartment until you get back.” He chuckled, shutting the trunk of his brother’s car. Lance knew it was coming, but the slam still made him jump, pouting when Keith smirked in amusement. _

_ “Jerk. I  _ guess _ I’ll wait till the end of my  _ very long _ summer vacation to get such  _ important _ items back from you.” He sighed dramatically, closing his eyes and placing a hand on his chest for emphasis.  _

_ “If it was that important, you wouldn’t have forgotten it.” Keith laughed, Lance’s act dropping as he watched the other. _

_ Keith always seemed to laugh with his eyes closed, his nose scrunched up with lips parted to show off teeth. It always seemed to melt into a smile that was so fond, so warm, that it made Lance’s heart stutter. He could feel his chest swell with warmth, so pleased by the fact that  _ he _ was the reason. Familiar butterflies appeared in his stomach when Keith opened his eyes to look at him, so overwhelmingly fond that he couldn’t help but look away.  _

_ “Lance.” Hearing his own name shouldn’t have made his cheeks warm, but it did. He looked back in time to see a smile that almost seemed sad, the warmth he had been feeling quickly dissipating into a smoke of concern.  _

_ “What’s wrong?” He asked, stepping closer to him. The question seemed to surprise the other, but it settled back into the same look, a frown replacing the faint smile he had tried to hold. It was the same face he made when they were talking in the forest, when he struggled to tell Lance what had been wrong.  _

_ ‘I don’t want to lose you’ He had said then, sounding so frustrated with a situation that Lance was blind to. He hadn’t pushed Keith then, waiting patiently for the time when he was able to open up. When Keith was ready, he would be there to listen.  _

_ “I’m fine. I just…” He looked hesitant, a hand coming up to run through his bangs. He didn’t mean to, but he flinched when Keith suddenly stepped into Lance’s personal space, quickly looking between them to avoid embarrassing himself. He was standing so close that he could smell the shampoo Keith had used. It reminded him too much of when they would go hiking, the soothing sounds of the wind dancing through the trees as they ripped off leaves and left them to flutter down.  _

_ He could feel his heartbeat pick up, feeling as if it would pop out of his chest at any second..  _

_ “Hold your hand out.” He heard, looking up to see that Keith wasn’t even looking at him.  _

_ He swallowed a bit before he did as he was told, holding a hand up as he watched the other pull something from his pocket. Keith didn’t place the object in his hand right away though, instead holding out a fist at a good distance above. Lance raised a brow before he felt his heart drop, quickly lifting his other hand as the object began to fall. It never landed in his hands though, Lance blinking in confusion. Before he could voice this, he spotted the crystal swaying in front of him, Lance quickly realizing that Keith was holding out a necklace by the chain. He couldn’t help but stare at it, glancing up to Keith before looking back to it and lifting his hands up for it. _

_ “It’s… It’s beautiful.” He whispered. A shiver ran up his spine as Keith laid it in his hands. It was cold and smooth to the touch, Lance letting his fingers run over the surface for a moment. He turned it over in his hand, loving the way the sun reflected off of it the way the light danced. It looked almost clear, but he could see the blue tint in it, the way it almost glowed in his hands.  _

_ “I can’t remember the name of the crystal, but it’s meant for protection. I… I thought you’d like it.” Keith explained, a hand raising to rub at his neck awkwardly.  _

_ “I love it. Thank you.” He smiled wide, resisting the urge to lean over and kiss him in thanks. Instead, he quickly put it on, feeling a jolt of warmth as it laid over his chest. He couldn’t stop touching it, brushing his fingers over the surface a few more times before eventually letting it be. He wasn’t sure if it was because Keith had given it to him, or that there was something else, but the crystal actually made him feel safer. He couldn’t give it much thought though, an announcement cutting through their moment and reminding him that he still needed to check in and go through security.  _

_ “You should probably get going before you miss your flight.” Keith said, clearing his throat a bit. _

_ “Probably. I don’t think my family or bank account would appreciate it if I missed my flight.” He grumbled.  _

_ “I don’t think so either. Come on.”  _

_ He didn’t have to, and Lance was certainly not going to decline it, but Keith walked him inside, helping him bring his bags in and even staying in line with him. They didn’t talk about anything in particular, talking about their classes that they were going to be taking or about the trips they were going to be going on. Lance managed to convince Keith into taking a selfie with him for snapchat, making sure to save the photo to his phone despite his promise not to. All too quickly though, Lance had checked his bags in and was ready to go through security, Keith walking with him until they were standing a few feet away from the end of the line.  _

_ “I’m going to miss you Lance.” Keith practically whispered, Lance nearly missing it over the noises of the airport. It caught him off guard, the worry he had earlier coming back in full force. Normally, he’d tease Keith, remind him that he was only going to be gone for two months before he was back for their second year at school. But there was a shift in the mood. The way Keith looked was screaming something that he couldn’t understand, something that made him want to go back to the front desk to cancel his flight. It made him want to get his bags back despite it being too late. Just then, it didn’t feel like he was just leaving for the summer. It felt like he was leaving for good, like he had no plan on returning or seeing Keith again. But Lance wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t. _

_ He didn’t know why it felt that way... _

_ “I’m going to miss you too.” He said softly, looping his arms around his neck and pulling him in close. He relaxed into Keith’s hold, pressing his face into his shoulder in an effort to hide his own sadness. He could feel Keith squeeze him, holding him as tight as Lance was holding onto him. It felt like… If they were to let go, the other would cease to exist. _

_ It scared him.  _

_ It felt like they were there for hours, but at the same time it felt like seconds, time seemingly warping around him. He could feel the burn in the back of his eyes grow as he pulled back, feeling the way Keith seemed to linger a bit longer before doing the same. _

_ They shared one more smile before Lance got in line, something compelling him to look back every few minutes to see if Keith was still there. And he was. He stayed. When it started to look like he wouldn’t be able to see Keith anymore, he gave a small wave, not caring if the other could or couldn’t see him through the crowd. But somehow he did, waving back before Lance lost sight of him. _

_ He waited till he was near his gate, finding the closest bathroom before going in and shutting himself in one of the stalls. As soon as he sat down, he felt the tears come, an uneasy feeling weighing on him as he thought about Keith, about the way he had just been. He jumped when he felt his phone buzz, quickly pulling it out as he wiped furiously at his eyes, clearing his vision the best he could.  _

_ Keef : Don’t cry _

_ He swallowed, unable to hold the small laugh as he quickly typed a reply.  _

_ LanceyLance: I don’t know what you’re talking about.  _

_ Keef: Sure you don’t.  _

_ Keef: Stay safe okay?  _

_ LanceyLance : You too.  _

_ LanceyLance : You better come back from your hiking trip safe or I’m gonna kick your ass  _

_ Keef : I’ll be back  _

_ Keef : I promise _

_... _

“Keith…”

Lance opened his eyes only to find himself in his apartment, the roaring of a plane's engine nowhere to be heard and one of his best friends nowhere to be seen. 

He quickly sat himself up, the dream- no, the memory, throwing him off. He knew that he had been sleeping more than usual, and that the memories were becoming more and more vivid. He just didn’t know why, and the thought of the unknown was giving him anxiety. He swallowed and blindly reached for the crystal, wanting to find comfort in the very item he had been dreaming about. Something ugly twisted in his stomach when all he felt was his chest. 

A wave of panic washed over him when he looked down and saw only his shirt, quickly patting around his neck in hopes that it had turned around while he was sleeping. When he felt nothing, he bit his lip and started patting the bed, quickly moving to get up. He tried to kick his legs free from the blankets that tangled around his legs overnight, unable to keep his balance and landing on his shoulder. He winced but didn’t waste much time, pushing himself up before grabbing his blanket and shaking it a bit. When nothing fell out he tossed it to the side, checking his bed again. He was getting nauseous, the panic only growing when only his phone appeared after he had tossed his pillow next to his blanket. 

“No, no, no, no! Fuck! Where is-shit, where the fuck is it?” He hissed, dropping down and looking under the bed. He could tell that he was breathing too quickly, rushing around his room in hopes that maybe his necklace had fallen somewhere when he had gotten home from the Diner last night. That maybe he hadn’t lost it on his way home. He kept wiping at his eyes, wanting to stop the tears from welling up so he could see clearly, cursing when he had accidentally knocked some stuff over and creating an even bigger mess. 

"Lance? You okay bud?" Came a voice from the other side of his bedroom door, startling him as he tried to pick the books up. He mentally cursed, completely forgetting that some of his friends had decided to come over and spent the night.

"I-I'm fine Adam! Just tripped over my sheets and knocked some stuff over! I'm getting dressed now so don't come in!" He called, hoping his voice wasn't as shaky as it felt. 

"Well… alright… Hunk is making breakfast now so don't take too long or all the food will be gone." Adam joked, Lance responding with a quick, albeit forced, laugh. He waited till he heard footsteps fading away before he scrambled around again.

Eventually, after practically cleaning his entire room, he checked his work bag, dumping it out and checking each article of clothing, tossing his pants, then apron into his basket before checking his shirt. He nearly sobbed when he found his necklace wrapped around his shirt’s collar, Lance remembering that he tucked it under it so that he could still wear it during work. He let out a long sigh of relief, sinking to the floor and just laying in the middle of the chaos his emotions had created. He’d have to re-organize his stuff later.

“Lance!” He heard and he immediately shot up to get dressed. 

“Coming!”

…

“Where’s Shiro?” Lance asked as he walked into the kitchen that also served as a dining room. Hunk was seated at the table, finishing his breakfast as Adam stood by the counter. He was pouring a cup of coffee when he walked in, looking up and smiling a bit. 

“He left this morning. He said he was sorry that he couldn’t stick around for breakfast, but he had a meeting to go to.” Adam explained, handing the cup to him when he was done. Lance hummed happily as he inhaled the scent. 

“Thank you.” He sighed, grabbing the creamer and sugar that was left out to add to it. 

“How’d you sleep?” Hunk asked, and Lance could feel their eyes watching him as he moved. He didn’t look at either of them though, knowing full well that if he did, he would see the concern in their eyes. He appreciated that they worried over him, he did. He just hated it. He didn’t like being the reason for concern. He took a sip of his coffee before turning towards them looking down into his mug.

“I… I slept fine…” He trailed off, clenching his jaw. He just needed to know it was okay. He needed to know it was okay to open up. It was quiet for a moment.

“But..?” Adam encouraged, and that was all he needed. 

“But I keep having these dreams." He said, taking a seat next to Hunk, Adam joining them with his own cup of coffee. 

"Nightmares?" He asked after a sip. 

"No. They're dreams, but not really. They're more like memories, playing as my dreams." He explained to Adam, rubbing the crystal for comfort. 

"Hmm. Well, do they have anything in common? A pattern? Maybe a feeling?" Hunk asked, a frown forming. 

"They're memories… Memories of Keith, interactions I’ve had with him. I don't know what it means though. Usually I could tell or at least have some sort of clue or idea, but there's nothing that stands out other than that." He huffed.

"Usually? You mean this has happened before?" Adam looked confused, looking between the two of them like a lost puppy who wasn’t sure who to go to. Lance laughed a bit.

“I’ve had this... thing, since I was a kid. My gramps has it, but he’s the only other one in my family who does. Basically, it’s an ability to somewhat guess the future. I get a week’s worth of memories that will hint at what’s going to happen at the end of the week. They’re typically straightforward, but this time it’s kind of confusing.” He huffed. 

“For example, Lance predicted that our bus driver was going to have a heart attack once and basically saved all of us from an accident by letting the bus driver know that he should get his chest pains checked out. Probably saved the bus driver’s life too.” Hunk said, and the pride he said it with made Lance flush with embarrassment.

“That’s… incredible!” Adam said in amazement, his eyes wide. It only added to Lance’s embarrassment. 

“Th-thank you…” He didn’t comment on the fact that his ability was sometimes terrifying though, some memories he’d rather completely forget. That particular incident, he had kept having dreams of his grandmother who had a heart attack while he was eating dinner with her. He had been the only one home at the time and was luckily smart enough to call 9-1-1.

“How long have you been having these dreams?” Hunk asked. 

“Almost a week… which means whatever’s going to happen is going to happen soon.” He grimaced at the thought.

They were all quiet for a moment, Lance taking a few more sips of his coffee as he ran the memories through his head. A lot of them were rather significant in Lance’s mind, all from different times of his life. He wasn’t really sure what else they shared in common, but he was also desperately trying not to overthink it. Did it mean something was going to happen to Keith? Something bad? Or did it mean he was finally coming back…? The hope in his chest flickered before he could shove it away, the flame only growing when he tried to smother it.

“I’m going to the forest.” He stated, looking to the two before continuing, “It’ll help me focus, which may be what I need to find out what’s going on. Plus the two of you probably haven’t stretched out in a while, so you can come with. That way, I won’t be going alone, and you two can take care of yourselves.”

“How did you- nevermind that.” Hunk huffed. 

“I’ll go with you. Mainly because you’d go without us even if we didn’t.” Adam chuckled, giving him a look that reminded Lance of his older brother. 

“I’d be lying if I said you were wrong.” He laughed, smiling sheepishly. 

…

It wasn’t easy being a supernatural creature in the modern world. 

Though, it wasn’t as bad as some might think. He mused over the thought as he, Adam and Hunk climbed over a fallen tree, walking further into the forest that stretched behind their university as they talked about his memories. They were still relatively close to the school, having had to wait a while for the campus security to move. They’d usually wait till it was dark before venturing in, one of the benefits of not being a human being that they could see in the dark. It also meant they could hide easier and see without a light to give them away. But today was an exception.

They were heading to the thicker part of the forest, a small open field hidden amongst the trees. They followed a path that only they saw, purely out of memory from the millions of times they’ve gone. It had been difficult the first few times for sure, but each visit was worth it. It was a safe space for the three of them to ‘let loose’, and he was confident they were the only ones who knew about the small clearing. 

When they finally got close enough to spot their area, Lance cut their conversation short with a small ‘whoo!’, throwing his hands up in victory before running the rest of the way in. He could hear Hunk and Adam run after them, taking a glance over his shoulder to see that they were quickly gaining on him.

“Hey! No fair!” He yelled after them as they ran past them, their own abilities benefiting them as they moved through the trees without tripping or slowing down. Once they made it to the clearing, they stopped, waiting for him to join them. 

“Slow poke.” Hunk teased, nudging him as Lance playfully pushed him away. He took a second to catch his breath, glaring at the two of them as they only laughed, clearly not being affected by their small run. 

“Whatever! Not all of us are Shifters or a Were.” He huffed, only pouting when they laughed at him. 

It quickly eased into a smile as he looked over the opening, Lance appreciating the beauty of it all. The sun bathed the field with warmth, the clouds casting a beautiful shade as they floated across the sky. There wasn’t too much wind today, so he’d probably stick to the shade until the sun lowered a bit. He let his eyes linger over to the pond that was towards the other side of the clearing, deciding he’d hang around there a bit later as well. 

“Is this a good spot, or did you want to move down to the pond?” Adam asked, probably noticing where he was looking.

“I’ll go to the pond later. The sun is still high so I think I’ll stick by the trees for a bit.”

“I guess we’ll go around and check everything, make sure there isn’t anything or anyone around.” Hunk said, slipping his backpack and sitting it against a tree. Adam did the same, rolling his shoulders a bit.

“I’ll join you. It will go by quicker if we both take a look.” 

“I’ll hold down the fort while you two go frolic in the forest.” Lance joked, snickering when the two of them rolled their eyes. He yelped when he suddenly felt his hair be ruffled, hearing Adam chuckle.

“Stay out of trouble.” Adam laughed, dodging a whack to the arm.

Lance grumbled as he fixed his hair, sticking his tongue out. Adam only laughed more. Lance watched as he went towards the left of where they were, quickly disappearing into the trees as if he was a ghost. 

“Call us if you need us.” Hunk reminded him.

“Yes  **Mom** !” He whined over-dramatically, looking at him with a smile. Hunk laughed before going in the opposite direction of Adam, disappearing in almost the same manner as Adam. It sent shivers up his spine.

Now that he was left alone, he made himself as comfortable as he could, grabbing a blanket from his bag and laying it out. He used his backpack as a pillow, laying back to stare up at the leaves as fluttered around. He took a deep breath, the scent of the forest filling his nose and he couldn’t help but smile a little. It always felt like the forest welcomed him, the wind almost pushing him to go further and explore. But he stayed where he was, relaxing and letting his mind wander for a moment. 

A song came to mind, one that always seemed to help him focus. He began humming as he ran through the memories that had been played for him in the past week, going through each one in hopes that something would stand out. He just couldn’t seem to pinpoint any other important details other than the obvious, and it was frustrating. His humming soon morphed into quiet singing, the words drifting into the forest with the wind, the leaves moving as if dancing along. 

It was lovely.

It was also distracting.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, a small yawn escaping as he fully relaxed into the grass. His singing faded into humming again, feeling like something was dragging him into something again. He felt safe though, knowing that his friends were around if anything were to happen. But there was something more that told him that he was safe at the moment, like something was either watching over him or protecting him. It told him to let go. That there wasn’t any need to worry. 

Before he knew it… Lance drifted off. 

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close freindos~. 
> 
> I do kind of feel bad for making ya'll wait so long for what we all really want. But... it's kind of fun don't you think?
> 
> Also! If you hop over to my tumblr, I've made some art for this fic. It's the same as my title here!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to give a warning to readers that at the beginning of this chapter is a little graphic. It contains fire and graphic burns so please read carefully. 
> 
> If you are uncomfortable and would like to skip it, please start reading after "He was too late". 
> 
> Keith is having a nightmare. He finds that the house he had went to first is on fire, and then later finds that all of his friends had been inside and had been caught in it. He wakes up after hearing one of his friends call out for him.

_ It was too late. They were too late.  _

_ He stared in horror at the house in front of them, engulfed in flames as the smoke blanketed neighboring buildings, blocking the light of the moon. The glow of the fire lit up the night instead, flickering ashes floating through the air as if they were fireflies. He didn’t wait for the car to come to a full stop before getting out, swinging the door open violently and stumbling over his feet onto the street. The heat felt like a smack as he rushed to the sidewalk, wanting nothing more than to rush inside but he hesitated. Fear stopped him.  _

_ Fear of finding out what he had lost.  _

_ Things were collapsing inside, the glass shattering from the heat and spraying the yard with shards. Instinctively he took a step back, covering his face to avoid getting hit. He thought he heard something then, someone calling out, someone screaming. He couldn’t tell if it was coming from inside or not, but it didn’t matter. That was the only thing he needed.  _

_ There was a chance. A chance that they were still alive.  _

_ He barreled through the door, hissing when he felt the flames lick at his arms. He didn’t waste time though, quickly rushing around the debris to find something. To find nothing. To find anything. He could hear people shouting, the sirens blaring closer and closer as he continued his search. But they still sounded too far away, and time wasn’t on anyone’s side. _

_ He froze as he came across what he had been hoping against, a sense of numbness slowly creeping through his body.. His eyes spotted them through the smoke, through the flames, widening with realization, widening with fear. Only… it was much worse than he had imagined.  _

_ There were bodies. Not a body. Bodies. No… Corpses... Six. There were six… All huddled together, all burned beyond recognition. But he knew who they were…  _

_ He flinched when one of them moved, their bodies moving in such an impossible and gruesome way. He could feel bile at the back of his throat as he watched pieces of them fall off, could smell the scent of burnt human skin. They were slowly crumbling, but they continued to move despite the pained sounds coming from them. He clenched his jaw, watching their head turn to him, watching their arm reach out for him.  _

_ “Keith…”  _

_ Hearing the voice, hearing  _ **_his_ ** _ voice, felt as if all the air was sucked from his lungs, his desperate cries going unheard as he reached out desperately for him. Their fingers brushed, and in an instant his cries were drowned by a pained wail.  _

_ Keith could only watch as his friend crumbled, falling back towards the others until their pained screams died out under the roar of the flames. He stumbled back, numb from shock, and stared. Stared until reality hit him. His emotions ripped through his throat with enough force to make his body tremble and collapse with the building.  _

_ He was too late. _

_ … _

Keith felt himself startle awake, hissing when his knee knocked into the dashboard in front of him. He growled in annoyance as he gently rubbed the pain away, sitting back and sighing a bit. They were still in the car, sunlight flickering through the trees inside. He did his best to stretch in the cramped space of the passenger seat, already feeling the way his body berated him for sleeping the way he did. He rubbed at his neck a few times before letting his hand fall back into his lap, sitting back and taking a quick look around. He needed to distract himself, the image still fresh in his mind as he frowned at the unwanted nightmare.

“Are you alright?” Krolia asked.

“M’ Fine. Where are we?” He asked, not really in the mood to talk about it. 

“We’re just about to pull onto the university grounds. I was unsure when you had wanted to take over, but I figured you could use the rest and was going to wait till we got there before waking you.” She explained. 

He took a look out the window again, this time recognizing the buildings they were passing. It felt odd. While everything seemed familiar and unchanged, he couldn’t help but feel like he was seeing everything for the first time again. The further they went in, the more he remembered, the more he recognized. He shifted slightly, the thought of actually being in the city making him antsy. 

“Thanks. Do you mind if I just direct you?” He asked. 

“Not at all.” She said softly, and she seemed to know what exactly he was thinking. If he got out of the car, he didn’t think he’d be able to hold himself from running. Worse if he actually took over driving. With Krolia at the wheel though, his impatience couldn’t lead to any reckless actions.

He thought back to his nightmare for a second, desperation filling his gut as Krolia slowed to a stop at the light. 

...

“This is it.” Keith said, looking up to a small white house, wind chimes hanging from the porch’s roof. There was a distinct smell to the house, plants grown and placed specifically in the yard to ward off anything unwelcomed, small symbols carved into their pots as well as the fence that bordered around it. While these details were hidden from any passerby, Keith knew they were there, had even helped set some of them up. The house itself blended in well with the others, and wasn’t isolated. It was also just down the street from the main campus’ main buildings. 

Meaning it would be hard to attack without witnesses. 

When he stepped out of the car, he took a deep breath, humming at the comforting scents that mingled through the air. He had no doubt that some of the flowers had already begun to act, feeling himself relax almost immediately. He took a moment to stretch, hearing and feeling the satisfying pops and cracks that came from his bones. Krolia had done the same, taking a look around the property before stepping onto the sidewalk. Keith motioned her to follow him as he started walking up the path, noting the cars that were parked in the driveway.

“Is this your home?” She asked, looking around curiously at some of the plants. 

“No. We’ll probably head there last, depending on where everyone might be. Shiro is probably working right now, so there wouldn’t be a point to go there now.” He explained, pausing at the steps to watch her. 

“I see. So is this-” 

Before Krolia could take a guess at whose house they were at, the door had been thrown open, the noise of the door smacking the wall startling both shifters. He let out a yell when they slammed into him, stumbling a bit before finding his balance and kept the both of them from falling down the steps. The smell of chamomile and lemon hit his nose, vanilla lingering from inside the home, and he sighed, unable to hold the smile as he wrapped his arms around her. He knew for a fact that it was her, a pang of guilt hitting him when he felt the other shake. Small sniffles could be heard, and her grip only tightened.

“Hey Allura.” He said softly, rubbing her back a bit. 

“Don’t you ‘Hey Allura’ me!” She snapped, roughly pulling away to glare at him. 

“I’m sorry…” 

“You better be! Do you have any idea of how worried we were? How scared? Does Shiro know you’re back? Please tell me he does, or so help me Keith!” She spat, rubbing the tears from her eyes. 

“I haven’t seen him yet.” He admitted. 

“Keith!”

“I can explain! We-” 

“You have  **a lot** of explaining to do!” She snapped once again, making him wince when she jabbed his chest with her finger.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated. 

“I know. But Gods Keith... I’m glad that you’re back.” She said, the relief evident in her voice. He offered an apologetic smile, Allura smiling back with a sigh, shaking her head a bit. Her hair had been cut shorter, bangs being swooped to the side and the length falling just above her shoulders and curling around her cheeks. She looked more mature if possible, her posture never losing her confidence. But he could tell not much else has changed, based on the mother-like reaction he got. 

“She is just as you described her.” Krolia chuckled, gaining both of their attention. Allura raised a brow, glancing at Keith before stepping forward. She cleared her throat before holding a hand out. 

“My name’s Allura. Though I suppose you already knew that.” She said, smiling politely. 

“Yes. Keith has spoken of you all on several occasions. My name is Krolia. It is a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Krolia is my mother.” He added. Allura looked conflicted then, her hand retreating a bit and nodding. 

“I see. I’m beginning to understand why you’ve been gone for so long. But, I’m sensing that there is something more to it then reuniting with your mother.” She mused, looking to Keith for confirmation. 

“Yeah. There’s a lot more Allura. That’s why we came to you first. But I’d feel better if we had the others here.” He explained, crossing his arms. 

“I have… several questions I’d like to ask. But seeing as you’re anxious to see the rest of our friends, I’ll wait until then. I can imagine that it will be easier for you to give us all an explanation at the same time rather than repeating yourself as well.”

“I think with the situation we’ve got on our hands, it’ll be better if they knew what we were too. I think… I think we should tell them.” Keith suggested quickly. 

Keith knew he sounded crazy then, knew the suggestion came off as unordinary coming from him. Out of Shiro, Allura, and himself, he had been against the very idea the most. To Keith, the less people who knew he was a shifter, the better. It wasn’t because he couldn’t trust his friends or thought they would let the information slip, he had total confidence that they would keep their secrets. He just didn’t know how they would react to it. And that part scared him, no matter how much Allura and Shiro had assured him that everything would be fine. In the end, they had agreed to keep their own abilities a secret as well, not wanting Keith to be suspected or make him uncomfortable. But now… With the Galra on his mind, he was willing to face whatever reaction they would have, even if it meant they would be uncomfortable or even scared of them.

“Well… I certainly was not expecting... that. But it does make me more concerned about the situation at hand. Let me grab my things.” She said, turning on her heel and quickly entering her house. 

“While you go and find your friends, I believe it will be best if I take a look around to scout the area. I’d also like to make certain that we weren’t followed and contact the others.” Krolia said quietly.

“Alright… Just… Be careful.” 

“You as well.”

…

“Where are we going first?” Keith asked, Allura driving them towards campus.

“We’re on our way to the school’s library. Pidge said that they would be there to get some work done, and Shiro is currently having a meeting in one of the nearby buildings. The others haven’t responded yet, so we’ll go and get those two first.” She explained. 

Keith’s knee started bouncing, anxiety pooling in his gut at the information. He had to remind himself that his friends could be working, or maybe busy with their own school work. They could stop by their places to see them and everything would be fine, everyone would be fine. It was funny how before they had made it to the city, he had been tempted to turn back. But now all he wanted to do was get everything over with and see all of them again. 

He caught Allura looking at him through the mirror, an almost amused smile on her face and he quickly went back to glaring out the window. She could tell what he was thinking.

When they finally got to the library, Keith had practically jumped out of the car, waiting as patiently as he could for Allura to join him. He looked at the large building in front of him, growing antsy as he tried to think where Pidge would most likely be. They were probably going to spend a while hunting their friend down, so Keith just wanted to get started already. Before he could even go in though, Allura quickly grabbed his arm and laughed.

“Still impatient as ever! I’ve already messaged Pidge to meet us out front, so relax.” She teased. 

He only huffed in response, crossing his arms as he turned to watch the door. It only made her laugh. He relaxed though, waiting until he could spot a familiar mop of hair. He nearly missed when Pidge came out though, not expecting them to have a completely different look. He blinked a few times, a smirk forming quickly when the two of them made eye contact.

“No fucking way!” Pidge yelled, not wasting a second before running over. He was prepared this time, catching the other in his arms and pulling them in tight. The familiar smell of old books and coffee clung to them, a hint of oil and wiring mingling in, telling him that they had been working on something recently. It was definitely Pidge.

“Did you get shorter while I was gone?!” He teased, grinning when Pidge returned the hug.

“I got taller, asshole!” They laughed, pulling back and quickly wiping tears from their eyes. 

“Taller? I don’t see it.” He shot back, ruffling their hair a bit. It wasn’t the mop of hair that he had grown accustomed to, now cut in an undercut fashion with hair that spiked out. It suited them more than the one they had gotten to match their brother, though they still had the glasses. And even though he had teased them, Pidge had definitely gotten taller, and he could tell they had grown stronger too. 

“Where have you been?! We all thought you had died or something!” They snapped, quickly punching his arm. It hadn’t hurt, but he said ‘ow’ anyway, rubbing his arm. 

“Yeah… I’m sorry about that.” He said, putting all jokes aside. 

“You fucking better be! I looked everywhere I could for you! I couldn’t find you, I couldn’t even find a trace! I thought… I thought you had disappeared like my Dad had. Like Matt!” They started sobbing, glaring at him through tears. He could see the circles under their eyes, dark and noticeable even under the glasses.

“I’m sorry.” He repeated softly, guilt eating away at him. 

He frowned when Pidge just kept rubbing at their eyes, their glasses falling when they pushed them too far out. He quickly caught it, handing it to Allura before pulling Pidge back into a hug, rubbing their back. They clung to him then, Keith letting them cry for as long as they needed. 

“I’m so glad you’re back.” They murmured eventually, pulling back and using their shirt to clean their face. 

“Me too.” 

“You better not be going anywhere either. I will kick your ass if you leave again.” They threatened. 

“I won’t. I promise.” He laughed, ruffling their hair again. This time they swatted his hand away. 

“Here.” Allura held their glasses out, Pidge squinting a bit as they took it from her. 

“Thanks. ‘Llura’” They mumbled, cleaning the lenses before putting them on. They blinked a few times, adjusting them a bit before looking to their hands in disgust. 

“Yeah, please don’t touch me with your snot hands.” Keith teased. 

“I will if you don’t shut up. I’m still mad at you.” They huffed, but Keith could see them smiling. 

“Hold on. You can use this.” Allura pulled a small bottle of hand sanitizer out from her purse, squeezing some into Pidge’s hands. 

“How are you always prepared?” 

…

“Shiro says he’s getting out of the meeting now.” Allura informed, the conversation they had been in dying down. Keith felt their eyes on him, the pressure enough to kill him as his nerves began to buzz. He took a deep breath then, feeling someone place a hand on his shoulder to give him a comforting squeeze. 

“Okay… You guys… You guys stay here.” He cursed inwardly over how shaky his voice was.

“Are you gonna be alright?” Allura asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. 

“Yeah. Just… going to go face my brother who I’ve never contacted once in the last two years to let him know where I’ve been…” He forced out, the laugh so awkward it made him cringe. 

“Worst case scenario is that he’ll kill you.” Pidge offered, and Keith immediately turned to glare at them.

“Technically Shiro does have first dibs on taking your life. He is your brother after all. Though to be fair, we all agreed to end your life together and then revive you. I’m sure I could find a way to do so without going into the dark arts.” Allura added. He blanched. Pidge cackled but had no idea that Allura probably could.

“You guys are the worst.” He mumbled. 

“Go!” They both yelled and he grumbled, quickly walking away. 

He looked up to the building Allura had said that Shiro had been in, nibbling his lip as he tried to work himself up to actually go inside. Theoretically, he didn’t have to go in, he could just wait outside the door in hopes it would be the one he took. But realistically, Shiro might go out through a completely different door depending on what Allura said to him, so he could miss him and it would only frustrate him. But his nerves were starting to get to him, the thoughts of unpredictable reactions rushing through his mind and freezing him in place. This was only one of the two hardests reunions he was going to have today, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle it, let alone both. What was he going to say? A simple ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t feel enough when he said it to Allura and Pidge, so it definitely wouldn’t feel enough now. What was he going to do? What should he do? What-

“Keith?” The voice was quiet, but the desperation in his voice was so loud. He swallowed and turned toward the voice, already feeling tears well in his eyes. Like Pidge, the smell of old books and coffee had stuck to him, but there was a hint of pine and fallen leaves, something so very Shiro. There was another smell that mingled with his and it threw him off, but he had doubt that it was Shiro, and he could worry about that later. 

Shiro stared in disbelief, mouth hanging open as eyes studied what he was seeing in front of him. He looked older, dark circles nearly hidden by the glasses he was wearing. His hair still had the weird patch of white in the front, but he could see more whites growing into the rest of his hair. He looked a bit thinner, but not enough to concern him too much. But it was enough to add to the guilt that consumed him. The look of relief that washed over Shiro’s face made it feel like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, tears already pouring out as he moved closer. Keith couldn’t stand still anymore, rushing over to meet him, the hug crushing. 

“I’m so sorry Shiro.” He whispered, afraid of the sobs that would escape if he spoke any louder. 

“I know Keith.”

…

Keith quickly composed himself as they headed back towards the library, running a hand through his hair a couple of times as well as rubbing at his eyes a bit. He heard Shiro snort and shot a glare at him before walking faster. Shiro stuck close though, not letting Keith stray too far. He couldn’t blame him, and he knew the rest of his friends would probably be like that after they had gathered. He was sure the only reason Allura and Pidge had stuck behind was because they had already slipped some way of tracking him onto his being without him noticing. 

He shivered.

“Why did you wait so long before coming back?” Shiro asked, his voice quiet. He glanced back at him, feeling himself shrink a bit with the sad look that Shiro had on his face. 

“I thought it would be for the best. But I was wrong.” He admitted.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” 

“I will. I’m going to tell you all what happened and what’s going on and why I came back. And what I am.” He assured, pausing to look Shiro in the eye. As he expected, Shiro was caught off guard, but instead of saying anything, he nodded. They started walking again, something uncomfortable twisting in his gut. 

“Hey look! You’re still alive!” Pidge yelled, hopping up as they walked up. 

“Ha ha.” He huffed, crossing his arms.

“I still haven’t gotten a response from Adam, Hunk or Lance.” Allura said, frowning a bit as she checked her phone again. 

_ Lance _ . He felt his chest tightened.

“They probably don’t have any service right now.” Shiro mumbled, pulling his own phone out. 

“What do you mean?” Keith asked. 

“Adam texted me earlier saying that he and the others would be going into the forest. They’re probably still there.” Keith could hear the concern that laced itself into Shiro’s voice, making his hair rise. The article that he read a few nights ago came to mind. 

“I understand that they enjoy hiking, but with the rumours that have been circulating, I would think they would try to avoid it.” Allura looked worried, her frown only deepening. 

“I think the only reason they’ve gone is because of what happened the other night with Lance.” Pidge cut in, and realization dawned on Allura and Shiro, the three of them exchanging a look that he couldn’t interpret. 

_ Lance. What happened with Lance? _ His chest tightened again.

He would have asked about it, but the fact that their friends were still in the forest,  _ maybe _ , made him anxious. Someone from the Galra was able to find pictures of them. Hell, maybe they had even taken them. And it just so happened that there were strange phenomenons happening in the forest around the same time? The only reasonable explanation in his mind was that maybe someone from the Galra pack was there, using it as a way to hide, but also doing just enough to keep most of the humans away. Which meant his friends could be in serious danger. 

Which meant  _ Lance _ could be in danger.

“We have to find them and get them out of there. Now **.** ” Keith said urgently, quickly walking to the car. The others quickly followed, Allura unlocking the car before they piled in.

“Keith-”

“I’ll explain everything later on. But we need to go now!” He felt bad for raising his voice out of frustration, but Allura seemed to understand. 

“Okay. We’ll find them Keith. Don’t worry.” She said reassuringly. 

…

He was extremely worried. 

The place Allura had taken them was the same place the others had also gone, Hunk’s car parked under the shade of the trees at the start of the parking lot. It was easy to miss, the street being a one way and the trees blocking any driver’s view of the vehicle. If it weren’t for the fact that Allura had planned to park where they were, they would have missed it. She pulled in next to them, frowning a bit as she got out. Her frown grew puzzled as she inspected the car further, bringing her arms up to indicate that she was thinking. 

“What is it?” He asked, coming up next to her. 

“Can you smell anything from their car?” She whispered, glancing behind them as Pidge and Shiro got out of the other side of her car. 

Keith raised a brow, but took a second to actually smell the area. He could smell the different scents from the forest, his friends that were present, Allura’s car as it cooled down. His eyebrows knitted together then. He could smell water. But there weren't any rivers or ponds nearby, and it hadn’t rained either. Strangely though, it was coming from the car, as if a large amount of water had been dumped on it to wash all other smells away. But the car was completely dry, and so was the asphalt it was parked on. He tried to find anything else, but found nothing and it was troubling. 

“Just water. I can’t pick up anything else.” He mumbled, crossing his arms. 

“What’s wrong?” Pidge asked, walking up and peering into the car. He shot a look to Shiro, tapping his nose to see if maybe he could pick anything up. 

“Nothing. I was just checking to see if they had left anything behind.” Allura lied, curling a finger around her hair nervously. 

“Pidge, why don’t you stay behind in case they come back.” Shiro suggested.

“Sure. I’ve got a lot of equipment in my bag so I’d feel better staying with them anyway. I could probably use my laptop to contact you if they do come back while you’re still looking. Let me see your phones?” They asked, Shiro handed his phone over, Keith doing the same. Pidge looked to Allura expectantly. 

“I’ll actually be staying behind with you so you won’t be on your own.” She said, and Pidge nodded. 

“Alright. Let me get these setup then.” They went back into the car, starting to pull out their laptop to do what Keith called ‘their’ magic. 

“There’s magic around the car. It’s like a cloak, almost as if the person who did this was expecting someone to go looking for them.” Allura whispered to him and Shiro once Pidge were out of earshot. Keith gritted his teeth. 

“We’ll be quick. Contact us immediately if anyone shows up or if anything happens.” It wasn’t a request, and Allura knew it. 

“I will.” 

“Okay. I’ve connected your phones to my laptop. I’ve also plugged in my own signal booster into your phones, so you should be able to get my messages and send them while in there.” Pidge called, hopping out of the car and handing their phones back. 

“Thanks Pidge. We’ll let you know if we find them.” Shiro promised.

“You two stay safe.”

“We will.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is probably what most people had been waiting for. Me too. Yes, what you're thinking is going to happen. Just... not in the way you thought...
> 
> I'm not sorry. Be prepared!   
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> Don't forget to wash your hands! Be kind, and try to stay inside if you can!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”  
> ― Roald Dahl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted to post this earlier since everyone is in quarantine, but I kept running out of time because I'm still working. Sorry for making you guys wait!

_ “There are only certain things you should keep hidden, mijo. Like plans for a birthday surprise, or maybe the ending of a t.v. show or book.” Her voice was soft, sounding like how a feather would feel as it soothed some of the anxiety he had away. He leaned into her touch as she ran her fingers through his hair, gentle and slow as she played with his curls. Her movements followed along with the melody of the ocean before them, the waves crashing and dragging along the sand before them in a silent beat that only they could hear.  _

_ “And the stuff we can do, right?” Lance asked, his grip tightening around the hand she had offered to him.  _

_ “Especially the stuff we can do. However, there are certain circumstances, certain situations, where it is okay to tell or show someone our magic. Like today.” Her words were supposed to be reassuring, but a spike of anxiety echoed through his body instead, making him want nothing more to curl into a tighter ball and hide. Today he had messed up. _

_ “I’m sorry Mama.” He sniffed, tears trailing down his cheeks. _

_ “Oh, Lance. Look at me mijo” She gently coerced him into standing in front of her, her hands gently lifting his face so that she could look him in the eye.  _

_ “I showed Hunk!” He cried. _

_ “You did what was right. You saved your friend's life! You knew you could save him if you used your magic, and you did. I am so very proud of you Lance.” She gently wiped the tears away, leaning down and kissing his forehead with so much love, Lance could practically feel it wrapping around him.  _

_ “But… But what about our secret?” He asked.  _

_ “It is still our secret. Do you trust Hunk?” She asked. _

_ “Yes! He’s my best friend! And he won’t tell anyone I promise!” He grabbed her hands, yelling as if it would emphasize his trust. And to him it did.  _

_ “You see? While it’s important that we keep our magic to ourselves, you will come across people that you can trust to tell. You just have to trust your judgement, and wait for the right time. Sometimes the time will come when you least expect it.” She said, smiling softly.  _

_ She took his hands into her own, holding them tightly before humming. He followed her gaze then, looking to the ocean and listening closely to the melody it sung.  _

…

Lance could still feel the ghost of his mother’s fingers running through his hair as the wind blew over him. He shivered as chills ran down his spine, the cold bite of the autumn air making him shake a bit. He pulled his sweater tighter around himself as he sat up, rubbing his arms to warm himself up a bit. He squinted through the brightness and looked around, noting that the sun hadn’t moved all that much. Neither Hunk or Adam had returned either, so he could tell he hadn’t slept for long. But it was long enough that he was cold. Another gust of wind blew through the small clearing again, Lance deciding that he could think about everything after he got himself into the sun. He left the stuff behind, figuring they could grab it later once his friends came back.

While the dream was short, it was more than enough to give him the message it had intended to pass over. Or at least he thinks he knew what it was about. He just didn’t really know how it fitted in with the rest. Every other memory seems to emphasize that the event was about Keith, that it had something to do with him. But there was something more than just that, he just didn’t know what. He could feel it though, like trying to remember an artist to a song he loved. On the tip of his tongue, but the words didn't come until it was already too late to matter. 

A million questions ran through his mind as he crouched down by the pond, basking in the sunlight as he let himself warm up. He was always one for the sun, but even it’s warmth wasn’t comforting as he thought about the problem at hand. There was also a feeling that sat heavy in his stomach, one that he had been ignoring since the visions started. He was afraid to acknowledge it, knew what it meant if he did. But at this point, there really wasn’t anyway of not feeling it. 

For once in a very long time, there was hope that Keith was alive. That maybe… he was coming back.

The word hope kept echoing through his mind then, drowning out all the questions that had been repeating themselves. While some of them were concerning, it didn’t seem as important as the fact that Keith was alive. Why else would he be having visions of him? 

“I swear if I’m wrong-” He cut himself off when he heard something, dropping down to his knee and looking around to see where it was coming from. The sudden panic pulsed through his chest, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. It sounded like something was running towards the edge of the clearing, nearing where he had just left their stuff. He let out a breath of relief, figuring it was Hunk or Adam coming back from taking a look around, probably finding nothing. He stood up and brushed the dirt off his knee, prepared to call out to his friend.

What he hadn’t expected was to see a wolf jumping through the trees and stopping short of their bags. 

Lance had only seen wolves through pictures or at a distance at the zoo. He had never seen one up close, and though he thought they were pretty cool, it really wasn’t on his agenda to make that happen. He had joked about them just being bigger dogs, but he knew better. He knew they were dangerous and now that he was staring into the eyes of a gray wolf, he could tell that they were a lot bigger than he had initially imagined. Bigger, and scarier. 

He tried to remember all of the details that he had read the last time he was at the zoo, trying to think of anything that could help him in this situation. But all he could think about was the fact that wolves  _ usually _ traveled in a pack when hunting. He hadn’t ever heard about wolves being in the woods though, so there was a possibility that this one was alone. It had been a while since they had come here, so the wolf could have shown up in that time, and there had been rumors floating around that animals started showing up. He just thought that they were about his friends. But if the wolf was alone, there was a chance he could just scare it off and then try to signal his friends to come back so they could leave. 

That plan was quickly tossed out the window when the wolf slowly raised its head, Lance’s heart dropping as a loud howl echoed around them. There were others, and he wasn’t about to stick around to find out just how many there were. He took the opportunity, turning on his heel before taking off into the opposite direction. If he could make it to the trees, to one with low enough branches, he could climb his way up and avoid becoming lunch for the wildlife. The howl was loud, so there was no doubt that his friends were already on their way back, and they couldn’t be too far. Hopefully. 

The howl was short though, hardly giving him a good enough head start. He could hear it kick one of the bags as it began chasing after him, Lance refusing to glance behind to see just how close the wolf was already to him. He cursed when he couldn’t reach the branches of the first few trees he neared, growing desperate as he tried to go further in while trying not to trip over the roots. Running from it was inevitable though, the wolf circling in front of him and blocking his way. He skidded to a stop, cursing as he landed on his ass, the pain shooting up his spine. He wasn’t running for long, but he still panted, his panic seeping into his lungs as he tried to scoot backwards. Tears welled in his eyes as the wolf stepped closer, Lance letting out a strangled yell. It made the creature pause, it’s head lowering, and if he wasn’t panicking, he could probably see the guilt in its movements. But instead he backed himself against a tree, pushing against it as if he could simply dissolve into the trunk. He squeezed his eyes shut out of fear, desperately trying not to imagine the amount of pain he was about to be in. 

For the second time that day, something unexpected happened. 

He felt the nose of the wolf press against his cheek in a gentle manner, Lance shivering at the way it felt slightly wet. Gross. He didn’t relax though, shaking as the wolf began to sniff him, hovering over his face, hair, neck, chest, like it was looking for something particular. He swallowed nervously as he felt the wolf pull away, a grunt coming from what sounded like their chest. He took a deep breath and slowly peeked an eye open, flinching slightly at how close the wolf had stayed. 

It was then he actually looked at their eyes and took it in. They weren’t yellow like had initially thought, or how most wolves he had seen. Instead they were like light purple-gray and one that he had become accustomed to. But he couldn’t remember where he had seen the color before, and for some reason it bothered him. It drew him in with their familiarity, distracting him from the fact that he had just been running away from a creature that could kill him within seconds, it’s teeth only inches away from his throat. There was something… almost human. His eyes widened and it clicked in his mind that he wasn’t just looking at a wolf. 

“You’re a… Shapeshifter…?” He mumbled. When the wolf’s ears perked up, it only confirmed what he had said. He relaxed a little, and if it weren’t for the situation, Lance would have found the way the wolf seemed to nod comical. 

He wanted to ask them another question, find out what was going on. But he snapped his mouth shut when the wolf started growling suddenly, once familiar eyes now an eerie yellow. The fear from earlier quickly returned as he flinched when the wolf moved, watching as they turned away. 

A loud bellow was the only sign Lance needed to know that Hunk was there, spotting the large brown bear rushing towards them. The wolf started barking, teeth bared and snapping their jaw in an attempt to intimidate the other, but Hunk didn’t stop. He threw his whole body against the wolf, knocking them away from Lance in one swift movement. The wolf caught himself though, landing on their feet before rushing back. They jumped onto Hunk’s back and sank their teeth into his neck, latching on as they clawed anywhere they could reach.

“Wait! Stop it!!” He yelled, panic building in his gut as he watched the two knocked one another around. Either neither of them heard him, or they were too caught up in the fight to acknowledge what he had said. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do either, tears of frustration welling in his eyes as Hunk let out a pained whine. He was panting heavily, and Lance could see multiple scratches on his friend’s body. The wolf didn’t look any better, standing on shaking legs with a distinct limp. 

The growls, roars, or yelps they made covered any sign of the new creature that sprung forward, latching itself onto Hunk’s front paw before it could strike the wolf again. As if things weren’t crazy enough, it was a panther that came to the wolf’s rescue, standing protectively over the other when Hunk finally shook them off. 

It was who the wolf had called for earlier. 

“Lance! Over here!” He spotted Adam standing by the pond, arms waving for his attention. The panther seemed to notice him too though, darting towards the brunette. Hunk tried to go after them, to stop them, but the wolf caught him off guard, slamming its body into Hunk and knocking him over. 

Lance got the gist of what Adam was telling him though, his hands stretching before him as he felt a sharp chill spread from his chest, down his arms and into his hands. Markings that had once been invisible glowed under his jacket as he concentrated, gritting his teeth as he felt the strain. The pond water rose and twisted from it’s bed, shooting out like a snake as it quickly scooped the panther up, carrying them along as it then scooped the wolf up. He was careful though, not wanting them to drown as he pulled his arms in, the water copying his movements as he pulled it towards him. He waited till they were a few feet away before letting them down gently. He couldn’t hold the yell that ripped from his throat as the water froze around them in a makeshift jail, feeling his arms grow painfully cold. 

“Too much.” He mumbled to himself, his teeth chattering. He let himself sink down to the ground, his body shaking violently from the sudden drop in his body temperature. He was pretty sure his lips were blue, his breath visible as he let out a shaky huff. 

“Take your jacket off.” Adam instructed as he ran up beside him, cupping his hands under the sun. 

“Sheesh, you haven’t even bought me dinner.” He said, never the one to give up on an opportunity to joke. 

“Lance!” 

“Okay, okay!” 

Lance whimpered slightly as he did what he was asked, wincing when the air hit his bare arms. There were clumps of ice stuck on his skin, snowflake patterns etched into the layer of frost that covered the rest. He would probably find it beautiful, if it weren’t for the fact that his arms felt like they had frostbite.

Hunk limped over as quickly as he could, huffing with what Lance could tell was agitation. Leaves started to form and collect around him as he walked closer, a sudden gust of wind whipping the leaves around him until he was completely covered. Just as quickly as they formed, they evaporated, Hunk no long a bear. He still limped as he made his way over, plopping down beside him with a hiss. He never looked away from the others though, still tense and on alert. Lance grimaced at how many wounds the other had, knowing that there were more under his clothes. 

A glow coming from Adam’s hands caught his attention again, bits of light floating upwards like fireflies. He brought it over and slowly poured the light over his arms, Lance immediately feeling the warmth seep deep into his sink, ice melting off instantly. His shivering subsided, his eyes slipping closed as he let Adam’s magic do it’s thing. 

“My own personal heater.” He joked, hearing Adam snort.

“Lucky me.” He heard, and he hummed in response. 

“So what do we do with them?” Hunk asked, Lance opening his eyes to see the wolf staring back. In fact the panther was staring at them too, the two of them watching with wide eyes. It was weird to say the least. 

“They’re shapeshifters. Or at least I think they are” Lance stated, the tension only growing when he said that. 

Once his arms were fully healed, he put his jacket back on, still feeling the chill of his magic pulsing within him. He could feel something push at the magic that kept the water frozen, feeling like it was a nudge or a scratch that he couldn’t reach. He frowned, unsure what he was feeling. It wasn’t until he looked back to the shifters did he realize what he had done unintentionally. They looked confused, focused on some unseen force before padding around impatiently, tails flicking with frustration. 

“I’m going to let them go-” 

“Lance, no!” 

“Just trust me.” He quickly said.

“We trust you Lance. But we don’t trust them. How do we know they won’t attack us once they’re free?” Adam asked, and he could understand his concern. But he didn’t feel like there was a need for it.

“Because if the wolf wanted to hurt or kill me, they would have done it before Hunk got here. There was plenty of time for it. We can’t get answers if we don’t talk to them. And until I drop my magic, they won’t be able to shift back, and Hunk you are in no condition to be switching back and forth to play translator.” He reasoned.

It was silent for a few minutes before Hunk sighed. 

“Okay.” 

He grinned, a wave of determination pushing him to climb to his feet. He ignored the way his legs felt like jello, figuring that they all had enough to worry about as he walked up to the ice. He slowly took a deep breath, looking to the panther and the wolf for a second. They looked antsy as they padded closer, and instead of scaring him, it sparked a jolt of excitement. 

A shiver ran up his spine. 

“Okay, before I let you out, just know that I could have frozen you solid and left you like those cavemen you seen in cartoons. So be nice or I’ll actually do that.” He warned, his tone light, but he was also serious. 

He took a deep breath before pressing his hand against the ice, his stomach doing a flip as he felt part of his magic return to him. He felt less cold as he changed the ice back to water, returning it back to where it belonged. His legs didn’t feel like they would give out under him anymore, the chill in his chest dwindling away. 

“Okay. You guys should be able to turn back now.” He said, looking back to the shapeshifters. They both looked to one another, and he quickly looked away to give them their privacy. With Hunk, it was fine, but for them, it almost felt too intimate to watch. He turned towards Hunk and Adam to give them a reassuring smile, wanting to reiterate that things were fine. 

“Lance.” It was just above a whisper, and he noticed that it didn’t seem to come from either of his friends. The voice… sounded so familiar, but there was something else that made it the opposite. It was deeper, rougher than what he remembered, trying to place it to a face, to a person. He  _ knew  _ that voice. 

“Lance.” This time his name was said louder, sounding almost desperate and pained. 

Time felt like it had slowed as he turned towards him, his breath caught in his throat as locked eyes with the same gray ones he’d seen earlier. Only this time he recognized them, recognized the person who was staring at him as if he was a ghost. Maybe he was? Maybe he was actually dead and this was just his version of heaven or hell or whatever you’d like to call it. The last two years had flown by, and maybe the numbness that filled his chest was maybe his spirit drifting between existence and the afterlife. But it couldn’t have been that. No. 

Because the pain that was blossoming in his chest felt very real. It  _ hurt _ . As did the sob that ripped through his throat. 

“Keith?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strong and protective Hunk is a blessing and you can try to rip that from my cold dead hands. My boy can fight! 
> 
> Please comment and let me know what you think!


End file.
